[GLB] What Great Lakes have you boated on?
[J&L] We have boated on all of the Great Lakes except Lake Superior.
[GLB] Which Great Lake is your favorite?
[J&L] We’d have to say Lake Michigan, home to some of our favorite Great Lakes ports. However, Lake Huron takes us to Canada’s North Channel, which is where we love to spend extended cruising time.
[GLB] What kind of boat do you have?
[J&L] We have had six boats since we were married, ranging from 21 to 42 feet. We currently have a Ranger Tugs R29, a trailerable trawler.
[GLB] What kind of impact has boating had on your life?
[J&L] Next to getting married or having children, we’d have to say that boating is the thing that has changed our lives 
for the better by adding an element of exploration and adventure. We tow our boat all over the U.S. and Canada to experience new cruising grounds. Because of boating, we have grown our social circle significantly with people we call good friends all over the U.S. and Canada.
[GLB] What made you start boating?
[J&L] Both Jim and I grew up boating on the Great Lakes or inland lakes. After we got married, we decided it would be an activity our family could enjoy together.
[GLB] What is one of your favorite boating memories?
[J&L] Since we have spent almost 25 years boating (living onboard five years), this is a hard question to answer. We would have to say that doing the Great Loop boating adventure is right at the top of our list, followed by our time spent boating on the west coast, especially British Columbia. One of our favorite memories there was making the trek up Jervis Inlet and Princess Louisa to Chatterbox Falls.
[GLB] What do you think is something important our readers should know that you’ve learned through your own experiences?
[J&L] Cruising has introduced elements of exploration and adventure into our lives with no shortage of learning opportunities – every cruising territory offers new things to learn. We have found that boating has enhanced our lives by providing opportunities to learn about navigation, boat mechanics, safety, weather, wildlife and nature, rationing and getting by on minimal resources during long trips. We have grown as a couple because while long-distance boating we’ve had to trust each other and work as a team to accomplish our shared goals. These learned skills have also applied to our land life.
Find Lisa and Jim on their Instagram account @trailertrawlerlife and check out their blog trailertrawlerlife.com.
